Steve Bosley is a wonderful leader who has shown tremendous integrity and a deep understanding of the university and the issues it faces. 
I am working to continue to serve the state as your Regent and representative to the University of Colorado.
These are very hard times for higher education in Colorado - it is a time to make the right hard decisions for the sake of our children to save and maintain Colorado's precious educational resource, CU.
So, Jake and I are once again traveling around the state, visiting all 205 newspaper communities of Colorado to listen, learn and share ideas.
1st Term Successes
The Pac 10
This was a wonderful move for the university, establishing it’s rightful place in this prestigious organization, aligning both academically and athletically with the prestigious schools of the PAC 10 – Stanford; UCLA; Southern Cal; Cal Berkeley; Arizona State; University of Arizona; University of Oregon; Oregon State; University of Washington; Washington State; plus the other new member, University of Utah.
While Steve was integral from concept through adoption, this was a magnificent CU team effort from athletics, administration, faculty and regents that led us to this time and place to be positioned to join the PAC 10. We are now at a new promising starting point as we look forward to many mutual benefits and successes with our new sister universities in the PAC 10.
New and Effective Leadership is the Lifeblood of CU
Steve chaired the search committees and provided the leadership in the past two presidential searches. In addition to traditional candidates, he actively and successfully recruited outside the academic community, which resulted in the successful presidencies of Senator Hank Brown and Bruce Benson. Each was exactly the right leadership needed at the right time.
President Benson’s extensive and successful private sector leadership experience and higher education experience makes him the ideal person to right now be leading CU with these economic challenging times.
Senator Brown said, “Steve’s business and leadership background was invaluable to me and the board especially when we reorganized CU’s upper management”.
Tenure Review and Restructure
After initially working with the faculty leadership on a proposed study of CU’s tenure processes, Steve sponsored the board resolution which officially set in motion the joint project involving faculty, administration, and regents to undertake a comprehensive study of the critically essential tenure processes. Steve was diligent in making sure that the report was far-reaching and thorough. The result produced a sweeping set of tenure reforms.
This groundbreaking process strengthened CU’s tenure system for its outstanding and competent faculty. High standards for achieving tenure were reinforced, while eliminating the concept of a guaranteed job for life.
Upholding CU’s Professional Integrity
Steve was unwilling to allow a CU faculty member to sully CU’s reputation or to tarnish the reputation of CU’s outstanding faculty body, and to be involved with the education of our students.
Steve sponsored the resolution to terminate Professor Ward Churchill’s employment after the CU faculty panels unanimously concluded that Churchill had engaged in conduct below minimum standards of professional integrity, and had engaged in severe and deliberate misconduct. The board supported Steve’s resolution with a vote of 8 - 1 to terminate.
Amazing Value of Colorado's University
Did you know?
CU is Colorado’s fourth-largest employer
CU contributes $6.3 billion to the state’s economy
For every dollar of state funding, CU returns $40 to the Colorado economy
CU confers 46 percent of all Colorado college degrees
CU researchers won $847 million in research funding in F 2009-10
CU is ranked eighth nationally by the National Science Foundation
CU’s technology transfers have generated $121.2 million in revenues
The CU School of Medicine generates $65 for every dollar it receives
CU has produced four Nobel Prize winners
CU receives more NASA funding than any other public university in the US.
Critical Financial Crisis at CU
vs the need to maintain superior education
CU is an invaluable and critical asset to the state, but, only if it maintains its academic excellence, accessibility, and affordability.
This period of serious shortfalls in an economy which continues to slide is an opportunity for us to create the most efficient and intelligent operation possible and at the same time find ways to protect our world-class educational commitment.
We must do more with less... just like every American family.
We have made substantial changes to save money and are continuing to explore where additional efficiencies can be gained. But, the #1 priority is carefully planned, strategic cuts without impacting a world-class education.
This is not an easy job and one that cannot be put off; it must be done right, now.
Now more than ever, it is a time for great fiscal responsibility.
The need for the right Regents with the right training, is now, more than ever
Doing nothing at this moment of crisis is not an option, and yet the wrong decisions will diminish our great educational institution.
The citizens of Colorado should demand nothing short of greatness for CU. Electing innovative, proactive, proven leadership will be decisive in securing CU's future as a world-class educational institution.
Our CU Regents must advocate for the importance of higher education in Colorado, while demanding accountability for taxpayers. Cutting the unessential, balancing constraints and expectations will require experience-toughened wisdom and tested judgment in complex financial problem solving.
Why Bosley’s experience is needed
to help lead, focus and coordinate
the Board of Regent’s efforts
This is not a drill, this is a true crisis and there is no time for on-the-job training. Now, more than ever, the Regent process requires leadership, financial sophistication and real world experience.
A veteran innovator and business and civic leader, Steve Bosley's professional qualifications and experience reveal a record of service and ongoing success. His extensive background in finance originates from over a 30 year career helping thousands of Colorado businesses succeed and create jobs.
Steve is a proven leader, budget cutter and problem solver, his creative approach to growing businesses earned him the national spotlight from major media, such as The Wall Street Journal.
“I am willing to make the hard decisions now and I will never, never balance the budget on the backs of our students and taxpayers!
We need committed professional help and real world leadership and Steve Bosley has demonstrated both for his entire career.
A: I was asked why, with the financial crisis at CU, I would choose to serve another 6 years. My honest and heart felt response — people who truly care and have the background and the experience to help are needed now more than ever in critical and tough times and the job is far from done.
This period is an opportunity for us to create the most efficient and intelligent operation possible and at the same time find ways to protect our world-class educational commitment.
Now more than ever, it is a time for great fiscal responsibility.
This is not an easy job and it is one that cannot be put off; it must be done right, now.
A: Whatever measures are implemented they must first be evaluated within the context of maintaining our absolute commitment to:
- Quality instruction to prepare Colorado students to be successful, productive members of society.
- Affordable tuition and accessibility for Colorado students.
- Operating the most efficient organization possible to carefully invest tax and tuition dollars.
- Maintain a classroom environment which respects and actively promotes and protects a free exchange of all ideas by and for all.
- Our budget balancing decisions and responsibilities by the leaders of each of the campuses in consultation with the president.
- Conscious balancing of resources and income opportunities for the long as well as the short term.
- Maximize revenue generation balanced with strategic cuts
- Donations and public/private partnerships.
- Tactical reorganization opportunities
A: We must do more with less... just like every American family.
CU is committed to continue to:
- Discover efficiencies in greatly improved operations.
- Reorganize, merge, and illuminate inefficient, redundant and unnecessary programs.
- Execute carefully planned strategic cuts.
In addition, we must emphasize new sources of income such as:
- Continuation of new startup companies based on CU technology (51 so far)
- Technology transfer of inventions and patents to the market place (to add to the $121 million already realized)
- Pursue research funding (beyond the all time record high of $847 million this year)
A: All of higher education is experiencing severe shortfalls, CU is no different.
CU’s budget is no different than a family’s budget. If income is reduced, decisions are made about which things are the most important upon which to spend the precious limited dollars available.
We have made substantial changes to save money and are continuing to explore where additional efficiencies can be gained. But, the #1 priority is carefully planned, strategic cuts without impacting a world-class education.
A: When this recession has at last ended and CU has been operating within a greatly reduced budget, we will see a changed CU. Its educational excellence will remain and its potential will be unfettered, CU’s streamlined, more efficient operation, will continue to spend your tax and tuition dollars with greater efficiency.
A: Absolutely!
The secret is in the quality and commitment of our outstanding faculty, on every one of our campuses. They are the best, committed professional educators who truly care about educating our youth and the discovery and exploration of new knowledge.
We must continue to build upon and focus as we have been for more than 2 years; with decisions and recommendations from each campus; searching for all inefficiencies; constant evaluation of all programs; exploring teaching loads of faculty; evaluation of core curriculum; and constant vigilance for opportunities to partner with a variety of private and public entities.
A: I love CU, care about our students, and the future of our higher education. This is not business as usual, the financial crisis is real and getting worse. It is imperative that the right decisions are made and made now to assure the quality of CU's future.
President Bruce Benson is the right person to lead CU through this time and needs the regents’ support. These things made my decision to continue to proudly serve CU, Colorado’s students, and Colorado. I am passionate about and faithful to this responsibility!
I am currently the board member with the most extensive strategic business, finance and leadership background.
I am already intimately involved in working on CU’s intricate, beleaguered and shrinking budget and now is certainly not the time to stop.
Success at this point will take fiscal courage and creativity. This is not a time for politics, it is a time to get things done.
I am a proven budget cutter willing to make the hard decisions now, and I will never balance the budget on the backs of students and taxpayers!
I will make the hard decisions now, and will never compromise our world-class educational standards.
I believe we have a moral commitment to provide access to qualified Colorado students at an affordable cost.
This is about hard work and fiscal sophistication. This is an incredibly tough and worsening financial time, the worst in CU’s 134 year history, and the job is far from done.
This is simply not the time to change horses, not the time for on the job training, and not the time to trade proven financial expertise for a 4th lawyer on the board (if my opponent should win).
There are no easy answers. Some believe that across the board reduction in salaries is the answer. It is not. The board and president agree that the leadership on each campus is where the decisions addressing inefficiencies, cuts, and reorganization must be made. Many interested observers are looking for a few very large items to change to solve the problem. No, it will be the thousands, and I mean thousands, of intelligent and cumulative changes which will resolve our budget crisis and make us stronger, NOT weaker, going forward… the job is not done.
This cannot just be about trimming costs, it must be about finding new sources of additional revenue. We have started the process and must continue it.
- CU just had one of its biggest fund raising years.
- This is remarkable considering the economy. I want to continue this process.
- We must have an increased emphasis on public/private partnership. I want to continue this process.
- Tech Transfer. We must continue to expand the program to assist getting discoveries at CU to the market place. This is a win/win money maker for CU with financial benefits for the researcher, CU, Colorado and our society. I want to continue this process.